Optimizing network efficiency for application requirements

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for selecting routes from among multiple media and/or optimizing transmission across those media are described. A minimum data rate may be determined for transmitting a content item. Based on that minimum data rate, a device may determine whether to transmit the content item via a given medium, select a different medium for transmission, or adjust transmission to compensate for unfavorable network conditions. A device may select a medium based on ranking one or more routes from a content source to a user device. Further, a device may determine a data rate for transmission based on calculating an expected time of transmission that includes time spent performing retransmissions at a given data rate.

BACKGROUND

Improvements in network infrastructure have created new concerns forrouting network traffic. Networks often have multiple paths fortransmission, and applications often have requirements for bothbandwidth and latency. Efficient methods and apparatus are needed formanaging network traffic so that optimal routes may be selected based onthose requirements.

SUMMARY

The disclosure describes managing network traffic, for example, byselecting optimal routes based on application requirements.

Some environments may present difficulties for network traffic. Forexample, a congested network may introduce delays in packettransmissions or may cause packets to be dropped. Further, anincreasingly crowded wireless spectrum may cause interference thatcauses packets to be dropped. This may introduce undesirable networkconditions, including latency or jitter that may affect usability.However, there are also increasingly varied media for packettransmission. A user device may have the option of receiving content viaEthernet connections, a local wireless network, a cellular network, acoaxial network, etc. The user experience may be improved and networksmay be more effectively utilized by selecting routes from among multiplemedia or optimizing transmission across those media.

A minimum effective data rate may be determined for transmitting acontent item. Based on that minimum data rate, a device may determinewhether to transmit the content item via a given medium, select adifferent medium for transmission, or adjust transmission to compensatefor unfavorable network conditions. A device may select a medium basedon a method of ranking one or more routes from a content source to auser device. Further, a device may determine a data rate fortransmission based on calculating an expected time of transmission thatincludes time spent performing retransmissions at a given data rate.Transmission adjustments, such as adjusting a modulation parameter basedon application requirements, may be performed in response to applicationrequirements, such as requirements for a minimum level of reliability orthroughput.

This summary is not intended to identify critical or essential featuresof the disclosure, but merely to summarize certain features andvariations thereof. Other details and features will be described in thesections that follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some features herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows an example network environment;

FIG. 2 shows an example software and hardware device;

FIG. 3 shows an example device arrangement in a network;

FIG. 4 shows an example environment with alternative routing paths uponwhich one or more methods described herein may operate;

FIG. 5 shows an example method for optimizing the transmission of acontent item;

FIG. 6 shows an example method for selecting a route for transmission ofa content item;

FIG. 7 shows an example method for optimizing transmission speeds; and

FIG. 8 shows an example system for transmission management.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to some aspects described herein, systems and methods maymanage network performance by efficiently managing transmissions acrossone or more media. One or more routing devices may determine options fortransmitting a content item along a route, as well as applicationrequirements for the content item. Based on the application requirementsand network conditions, the one or more routing devices may determineoptimal path, medium, and/or other parameters for transmission. In manyinstances, multiple wired and/or wireless routes may exist fortransmitting a content item from a source to a destination. By modifyingtransmissions to routes based on considerations for latency, bandwidth,and/or interference, the device may optimize the user experience whileminimizing negative impacts to the network.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example information distribution network in whichone or more of the various features described herein may be implemented.The illustrated information distribution network is only one example ofa network and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scopeof use or functionality of the disclosure. The illustrated networkshould not be interpreted as having any dependency or requirementrelating to any component or combination of components in an informationdistribution network.

A network 100 may be a telecommunications network, a Multi-ServiceOperator (MSO) network, a cable television (CATV) network, a cellularnetwork, a wireless network, an optical fiber network, a coaxial cablenetwork, a Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) network, or any other type ofinformation distribution network or combination of networks. Forexample, the network 100 may be a cellular broadband networkcommunicating with multiple communications access points, such as awireless communications tower 130. In another example, the network 100may be a coaxial system comprising a Cable Modem Termination System(CMTS) communicating with numerous gateway interface devices (e.g., agateway 111 in an example home 102 a). In another example, the network100 may be a fiber-optic system comprising optical fibers extending froman Optical Line Terminal (OLT) to numerous Optical Network Terminals(ONTs) communicatively coupled with various gateway interface devices.In another example, the network 100 may be a Digital Subscriber Line(DSL) system that includes a local office 103 communicating withnumerous gateway interface devices. In another example, the network 100may be an HFC network in which Internet traffic is routed over bothoptical and coaxial communication paths to a gateway interface device inor near a user's home. Various aspects of the disclosure may operate onone or more of the networks described herein, or any other networkarchitectures now known or later developed.

The network 100 may use a series of interconnected communication links101 (e.g., coaxial cables, optical fibers, wireless links, etc.) toconnect a premises 102 (e.g., a home or other user environment) to thelocal office 103. The communication links 101 may include any wiredcommunication links, wireless communication links, communicationsnetworks, or combinations thereof. For example, portions of thecommunication links 101 may be implemented with fiber-optic cable, whileother portions of the communication links 101 may be implemented withcoaxial cable. The communication links 101 may also include variouscommunications components such as splitters, filters, amplifiers,wireless components, switches, routers, and/or other components forcommunicating data.

The local office 103 may include an interface 104, which may be acomputing device configured to manage communications between devices onthe network of the communication links 101 and backend devices, such asa server. For example, the interface 104 may be a CMTS. The terminationsystem may be as specified in a standard, such as, in an example of anHFC-type network, the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification(DOCSIS) standard, published by Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. Thetermination system may be configured to transmit data over one or moredownstream channels or frequencies to be received by various devices,such as modems in the premises 102, and to receive upstreamcommunications from those modems on one or more upstream frequencies.

The local office 103 may include one or more network interfaces 108 forcommunicating with one or more external networks 109. The local office103 may include a variety of servers that may be configured to performvarious functions. The local office 103 may include a push server 105for generating push notifications to deliver data, instructions, or bothto devices that are configured to detect such notifications. The localoffice 103 may include a content server 106 configured to providecontent (e.g., media content) to devices. The local office 103 may alsoinclude an application server 107.

The gateway 111 may be any computing device for communicating with themodem 110 to allow one or more other devices in the example home 102 ato communicate with the local office 103, the one or more externalnetworks 109, and/or other devices communicatively coupled thereto. Thegateway 111 may include local network interfaces to providecommunication signals to client devices in or near the example home 102a, such as a television 112, a set-top box 113, a personal computer 114,a laptop computer 115, a wireless device 116 (e.g., a wireless laptop, atablet computer, a mobile phone, a portable gaming device a vehicularcomputing system, a mobile computing system, a navigation system, anentertainment system in an automobile, marine vessel, aircraft, etc.),or any other device. In some instances, the gateway 111 may be awireless router and/or hotspot, which may be configured to provideservice to one household and/or other users.

FIG. 2 illustrates general hardware elements that can be used toimplement any of the various computing devices, servers, encoders,caches, and/or software discussed herein. A device 200 may include aprocessor 201, which may execute instructions of a computer program toperform any of the functions and steps described herein. Theinstructions may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium ormemory to configure the operation of the processor 201. For example,instructions may be stored in a Read-Only Memory (ROM) 202, a RandomAccess Memory (RAM) 203, a removable media 204, such as a UniversalSerial Bus (USB) drive, Compact Disk (CD) or Digital Versatile Disk(DVD), hard drive, and/or any other desired electronic storage medium.Instructions may also be stored in a hard drive 205, which may be aninternal or external hard drive.

The device 200 may include one or more output devices, such as a display206 (e.g., an integrated or external display, monitor, and/ortelevision), and may include a device controller 207, such as a videoprocessor. In some embodiments, the device 200 may include an inputdevice 208, such as a remote control, keyboard, mouse, touch screen,microphone, motion sensing input device, and/or any other input device.

The device 200 may also include one or more network interfaces, such asa network Input/Output (I/O) interface 210 to communicate with a network209. The network interface may be a wired interface, wireless interface,or a combination of the two. In some embodiments, the network I/Ointerface 210 may include a cable modem, and the network 209 may includethe communication links 101 shown in FIG. 1; the one or more externalnetworks 109; an in-home network; a provider's wireless, coaxial, fiber,or hybrid fiber/coaxial distribution system (e.g., a DOCSIS network);and/or any other desired network.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example device arrangement in a network upon whichone or more methods described herein may operate. A management server305 may comprise a computing device 200 which may be configured tomanage downstream devices. For example, a management server 305 may be aload balancing server that analyzes and instructs downstream routingdevices in order to effectively manage bandwidth. In some instances, themanagement server 305 may determine which content server 310 willservice a request for a content item on a given route to a requestingdevice 330. The management server 305 may receive a request to transmita content item to the requesting device 330. For example, a user on arequesting device 330 (e.g., a computer, set-top box, mobile device,etc.) may trigger a request for a content item (e.g., a movie, web page,song, data file, multiplayer gaming data, etc.) from a content server310 and/or a management server 305. In some instances, after receivingthe request, the management server 305 may select a content server 310and/or a route through devices 310-330 in order to efficiently deliverthe content item. In other instances, a content server 310 may respondto the request directly. The management server may reside in the localoffice 103, and/or on the external network 109. Though FIG. 3 depicts anexample device arrangement, numerous variations may be possible. Forexample, a management server 305 may sit downstream from the contentserver 310, and/or additional routing devices may exist between amanagement server 305 and a content server 310.

A content server 310 may hold content items for delivery to a requestingdevice 330. In some instances, the content server 310 may store a copyof content delivery on demand. There may also be multiple contentservers 310 in the network, each storing copies so that multiplerequests for the same and/or differing content may be serviced faster.The content server 310 may receive a request for a content item. Thecontent server 310, in response to the request and/or an instructionfrom the management server 305, may then transmit the content item tothe requesting device 330 via the devices 315-325. In some instances,the content server 310 may receive the request for the content item fromthe requesting device 330 and pass the request on to the managementserver 305 for the management server 305 to manage the delivery of thecontent item. The content server 310 may be a content server 106, or mayreside on the external network 109.

A first routing device 315 may be an intermediary routing device betweenthe content server 310 and the requesting device 330. In some instances,additional intermediary routing devices, such as a second routing device320, may be downstream (i.e., closer to the requesting device 330). Theintermediary routing devices, collectively, are referred to herein asintermediary routing devices 318. The intermediary routing devices mayreceive a content item at one device (such as from the content server310 and at the first routing device 315), pass the content item alonginternally (such as from the first routing device 315 and to the secondrouting device 320), and then pass the content item on to the requestingdevice 330 (such as from the second routing device 320 and to the clientgateway 325). The routing devices that comprise the intermediary routingdevices 318 may be programmed according to one or more methods describedherein, either independently or collectively. In some instances, eachrouting device of the intermediary routing devices 318 may receiveindividual instructions. In other instances, a single set ofinstructions may be given for a plurality of routing devices in theintermediary routing devices 318. The intermediary routing devices mayexist on the external network 109, in the local office 103, and/or alongthe communication links 101.

The client gateway 325 may bridge a local network with a largerprovider-operated network. In some instances, the client gateway 325 maybe a gateway 111 and/or an interface 103. The client gateway may receivea request from a requesting device 330 and submit the request, using anexternal network connection, to a content server 310 or a managementserver 305. In some instances, the client gateway 325 may pass therequest along intermediary routing devices 318. The client gateway 325may also receive the content item from the external network and deliverit to the requesting device 330. In some embodiments, there may be noclient gateway 325, and the requesting device 330 may interface directlywith the external network. In other embodiments, the client gateway 325may be contained in or may be attached to the requesting device 330.

The requesting device 330 may be a device that initiates a request for acontent item. The requesting device 330 may be a computing device 200.The requesting device 330 may be a laptop computer, desktop computer,set top box, entertainment console, tablet, mobile device, server,workstation, and/or any device that may request content items from anupstream server. The requesting device 330 may initiate a request for acontent item automatically or in response to input from a user. Afterinitiating the request, the requesting device 330 may receive therequested content item from the content server 310.

FIG. 4 shows an example environment with alternative routing paths uponwhich one or more methods described herein may operate. A content source405 may serve as a source for content requested by and/or transmitted toa user device 415. In some embodiments, a content source 405 may be acontent server 310, and/or a user device 415 may be a requesting device330. The content source 405 may connect to the user device 415 throughone or more devices, such as an access point 410. The access point 410may be an intermediary routing device 318 or a client gateway 325.

In other embodiments, FIG. 4 may depict a local network. A contentsource 405 may be a client gateway 325, and the user device 415 may be arequesting device 330. A request for a content item from a requestingdevice 330 may be passed through the client gateway 325. The contentsource 405 may send a request to an external network to retrieve acontent item from the external network, before passing the content itemon from the content source 405 to the user device 415. The contentsource 405 thus may be the source of the content item entering the localnetwork, though it may obtain the content item from some other device inan external network. The access point 410 may be a routing device withinthe local network that may provide connections from the content source405 to the user device 415.

Multiple pathways may exist for routing content items from a contentsource 405 to the user device 415. In some instances, traffic may passthrough an intermediary device, such as the access point 410. Differentconnection types (e.g., “media”) may be used for routing traffic fromthe content source 405 to the access point 410. For example, fiber opticconnections, Ethernet connections, Multimedia over Coax Alliance (e.g.,“MOCA”) connections, and/or any other connection (including wirelessconnections) may be used to connect a content source 405 to an accesspoint 410.

The access point 410 may have further media for relaying content itemsfrom the content source 405 to the user device 415. For example, theaccess point 410 may have a wireless network interface (WiFi), Ethernetconnections, MOCA connections, and/or other connections to the userdevice 415. In some instances, traffic received by the access point 410via one medium may be output via another. For example, a content itemreceived over an Ethernet connection may be output via a WiFiconnection.

In some instances, content items transmitted from a content source 405to a user device 415 may bypass an access point 410. For example, a userdevice 415 may receive a content item via a WiFi connection to thecontent source 405. In another example, the user device 415 may receivethe content item from the content source 405 via a cellular networkconnection.

FIG. 4 presents only one of many possible device arrangements. Forexample, in many instances, multiple intermediary devices may exist,such as routing devices between the content source 405 and the accesspoint 410 and/or routing devices within a cellular network connectingthe content source 405 and the user device 415. More or fewerconnections may exist. For example, a cellular network may be used toconnect the content source 405 to the access point 410, and only anEthernet connection may exist between the access point 410 and the userdevice 415. In another example, many access points 410 may exist inparallel, offering alternative routes between the content source 405 andthe user device 415. While only one illustrated example is given, manysuch variations may be compatible with the systems and methods describedherein.

FIG. 5 shows an example method for optimizing the transmission of acontent item. A device (such as a content source 405, access point 410,user device 415, or combination thereof) may determine a minimum datarate value for transmitting a content item, and perform further steps asrequired based on that determination. In some instances, the data ratevalue may comprise a Modulation and Coding Scheme (e.g., “MCS”) value.The MCS value may correspond to a number of spatial streams, amodulation type, a coding method, and/or a transmission frequency range.This may have the advantage of meeting application requirements fortransmission while minimizing the impact of transmission upon thenetwork.

At step 505, the device may receive a request to transmit a contentitem. The request may be a packet from a user device 415 requesting thatthe system supply a content item from a storage location (e.g., digitalstorage of a content source 405). For example, the device may receive adata packet requesting that a video file be delivered to a networkaddress corresponding to the user device 415.

At step 510, the device may determine the capabilities of one or morerouting devices on the network. The device may first determine whatmedia for transmission exist, what capabilities those media may have, orthe capabilities of devices that make use of those media. For example,the device may determine that a content source 405 is connected via a 1Gb/sec fiber optic connection and a 100 Mb/sec Ethernet connection to anaccess point 410. The device may further determine that the access point410 may be connected via an 800 Mb/sec 802.11ac connection and a 1Gb/sec Ethernet connection to a user device 415. The device may alsodetermine that the access point 410 may only be able to output a totalof 1 Gb/sec from all combined outputs. In some instances, the device maydetermine capabilities for an aggregated a plurality of media. Forexample, the device may determine that a combination of an 802.11acconnection from a content source 405 to a user device 415 and anEthernet connection from the content source 405 and the user device 415may have an effective combined bandwidth of 1.5 Gb/sec. The device maydetermine any other applicable characteristics of such media or devices(e.g., transcoding ability, current bandwidth available, power draw,etc.).

At step 515, the device may determine application requirements. In someinstances, the device may determine application requirements bydetecting a quality of service (“QoS”) parameter for the content item(such as a QoS parameter associated with DSCP, 802.1q, etc.). The QoSparameter may indicate the requirements for transmitting the contentitem. For example, a QoS parameter may indicate that the content itemshould be transmitted with minimum latency. In another example, a QoSparameter may indicate that the content item should be transmitted usingmaximum bandwidth (e.g., maximum rate of transfer). The QoS parametermay indicate a combination of requirements. For example, the QoSparameter may indicate a maximum allowable latency for a content itemand a minimum allowable bandwidth.

Application requirements may also be inferred for a content item. Thedevice may use one or more properties of the content item to determine atype for the content item. One property may be a transmission ordestination port for the content item. For example, the device maydetermine that the content item is directed at a particular UserDatagram Protocol (“UDP”) port that is associated with online gaming. Inanother example, the device may determine that the content item isdirected at a particular Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”) portassociated with VoIP traffic. The device, based on the type, maydetermine characteristics for transmission. For example, the device mayassociate a predetermined maximum latency and minimum bandwidth for acontent item with a VoIP type. In another example, the device mayassociate another predetermined maximum latency and minimum bandwidthfor a content item with a gaming type.

At step 520, the device may determine a minimum data rate value fortransmitting the content item. As data rates increase, a transmissionmay require more resources or spectrum in order to handle thetransmission. Increased data rates may also raise packet error rates,requiring more retransmissions. For example, in a wireless transmission,a higher MCS value may require additional channels and/or antennas,which may also increase the chances of collisions. In wired networks,higher data rates may take up more available bandwidth, such as byrequiring more spectrum or channels in a multiplexed environment. Bydetermining the minimum data rate value for the transmission, the devicemay determine a value that meets the application requirements whileminimizing potentially harmful effects to the medium for transmissionand/or network.

At step 525, the device may determine whether the minimum data ratevalue exceeds the capabilities for a default route on the network. Usinga method known in the art or described herein, a route may beestablished for transmitting the content item. The device may havedetermined the capabilities of one or more media corresponding to theroute in step 510. If the minimum data rate value falls within thecapabilities of the one or more media, then the one or more routingdevices may be capable of transmitting the content item across the oneor more media and the content item may be transmitted in step 530. Ifthe minimum data rate value exceeds capabilities, the device may checkto see if an alternative medium for transmission is available in step535.

At step 530, the device may transmit the content item using the minimumdata rate value. For example, the device may transmit a VoIPtransmission using a relatively small MCS value that reduces latency inan environment with frequent packet collisions while maintaining aminimum level of bandwidth necessary to maintain the VoIP transmission.In another example, a small MCS value may introduce latency due to thetime to transmission, so the device may transmit with a larger MCSvalue. In some instances, a wireless transmission may only utilize aportion of a channel (such as a lower band in a dual-band channel) totransmit the data, which may have the advantage of reducing collisions.In some instances, the portion utilized may be a portion furthest fromanother channel being utilized by another device. For example, if thedevice is utilizing channel 6, and another device is utilizing channel11, but no device is utilizing channel 1, then the device may utilizethe lower half of channel 6 in order to reduce the impact of collisionsand/or crosstalk with communications on channel 11. In another example,the device may only transmit in a portion of the frequency range for achannel to avoid interference.

At step 535, the device may determine if other media for transmissionare available. Though the default route may have been found incapable ofhandling the transmission in step 525, some other medium fortransmission may exist. For example, a virtual reality streaming videotransmission may require 300 Mb/sec for transmission. A default routemay comprise a MOCA connection from the content source 405 to the accesspoint 410, and an Ethernet connection from the access point 410 to theuser device 415. However, the MOCA connection may only be capable of 250Mb/sec. In some instances, capabilities may be determined for a timewindow. For example, a capability for a MOCA connection may bedetermined every 5 minutes due to fluctuations in MOCA capabilities dueto interference. Instead, the device may determine at step 535 that awireless 802.11ad connection from the content source 405 to the userdevice 415 may exist, and may be capable of 500 Mb/sec. The device maythen proceed to route the content item through the better medium in step540. In other instances, no better medium may be available, so thedevice may attempt to adjust application requirements in step 545.

At step 540, the device may route using another medium. A preferredmedium may be incapable of handling a transmission within requirements.For example, a MOCA connection may be preferred due to its relativestability as compared to wireless transmissions, but the wirelessconnection may have added bandwidth necessary to meet requirements. Thedevice may then use the minimum data rate value determined in step 520,and route the content item through the other medium in order to meet theapplication requirements.

At step 545, the device may attempt to adjust application requirementsfor transmission. In some instances, no medium may be capable ofhandling the stated application requirements. For instance, no mediummay have the bandwidth needed for application requirements correspondingto a high-definition video stream. In another instance, any route mayintroduce a delay that fails to meet application requirementscorresponding to a video call. However, it may be possible to negotiatewith an application to change application requirements. The device maycommunicate with the user device 415 and/or an application requestingthe content item to change requirements. For example, the device mayrequest that the video streaming quality be reduced. An application onthe user device 415 may then instead request a standard definition videofeed. Regardless of whether the requirements are adjusted, the devicemay transmit the content item according to its capability in step 550.

At step 550, the device may transmit the content item according to itscapability. Whether or not requirements were adjusted, the device mayattempt to deliver the content item to the user device 415 using theminimum data rate value determined in step 520. This may result inimpacted performance or user experience if application requirements arenot being met. In some instances, an option may be presented to a userto delay or cancel transmission if requirements cannot be met.

FIG. 8 shows an example system for transmission management consistentwith one or more methods described herein. Transmissions correspondingto different applications may be processed by one or more modules inorder to determine optimal transmission characteristics. In someinstances, these modules may be hardware and/or software layersoperating on a wireless router 830. For example, two applications, afirst application 805 and a second application 810, may wish to transmitdata. The first application 805 may comprise a file downloadtransmission, which requires that every packet be received reliably. Thesecond transmission may comprise a UDP transmission with minimum speedrequirements, such as a video call.

The system may comprise various modules for transmission management.Requirement determination module 815 may analyze packets to determine acourse of action. The requirement determination module 815 may determinea course of action based on QOS parameters and/or an associatedapplication for the transmission. For example, the requirementdetermination module 815 may determine that a transmission correspondsto the first application 805 or the second application 810 based onpacket header information. Each application may have associatedrequirements. For example, file downloads associated with the firstapplication 805 may require as few packets be dropped as possible. Inanother example, UDP transmissions associated with the secondapplication 810 may require that a minimum throughput is reached, andthat as few packets are dropped as possible after exceeding the minimumthroughput.

A parameter selection module 820 may determine optimal parameters forthe transmission based on requirements determined by the requirementdetermination module 815. A reliability parameter may specify that highreliability for a transmission is preferred. For example, an MCS valuemay be selected that is slower, but more reliable, for the firstapplication 805. In another example, an MCS value may be selected thatis faster, but less reliable, for the second application 810. If atransmission aggregates packets, such as a packet for application 805and a packet for application 810, the most stringent requirements may beused. For example, if the first application requires an MCS value of 4and the second application 810 requires an MCS value of 6, an MCS valueof 6 may be used for the aggregated transmission. These parameters maythen be applied by a transmission characteristic configuration module825. For example, the transmission characteristic configuration module925 may assign a header value indicating a desired MCS value fortransmission. In another instance, the transmission characteristicconfiguration module 825 may configure one or more antennas on thewireless router 830 for transmitting the data associated with the firstapplication or the second application.

After configuration, the transmission may be performed by the wirelessrouter 830. In some instances, the wireless router 830 may be an accesspoint 410. For example, the transmission may be made via a wirelesstransmission, which may be a multiple-input multiple-output transmission(“MIMO”), using the configured MCS value for associated antenna(s). Inanother example, the transmission may be made via a wired transmission,such as via transmission over MOCA or wired Ethernet.

FIG. 6 shows an example method for selecting a route for transmission ofa content item. A device (such as a content source 405, access point410, user device 415, or combination thereof) may determine a particularroute for transmitting a content item. Multiple, alternative media fortransmitting a content item may exist within a network. By selecting themedia most appropriate for the content item, network performance may beoptimized.

At step 605, the device may receive a request to transmit a contentitem. The request may be a packet from a user device 415 requesting thatthe system supply a content item from a storage location (e.g., digitalstorage of a content source 405). For example, the device may receive adata packet requesting that a video file be delivered to a networkaddress corresponding to the user device 415.

At step 610, the device may determine optimal transmissioncharacteristics for the content item. In some instances, the device maydetect a quality of service (“QoS”) parameter for the content item (suchas a QoS parameter associated with DSCP, 802.1q, etc.). The QoSparameter may indicate the requirements for transmitting the contentitem. For example, a QoS parameter may indicate that the content itemshould be transmitted with minimum latency. In another example, a QoSparameter may indicate that the content item should be transmitted usingmaximum bandwidth (e.g., maximum rate of transfer). The QoS parametermay indicate a combination of requirements. For example, the QoSparameter may indicate a maximum allowable latency for a content itemand a minimum allowable bandwidth.

Application requirements may also be inferred for a content item. Thedevice may use one or more properties of the content item to determine atype for the content item. One property may be a transmission and/ordestination port for the content item. For example, the device maydetermine that the content item is directed at a particular UDP portthat is associated with online gaming. In another example, the devicemay determine that the content item is directed at a particular TCP portassociated with VoIP traffic. The device, based on the type, maydetermine characteristics for transmission. For example, the device mayassociate a predetermined maximum latency and minimum bandwidth for acontent item with a VoIP type. In another example, the device mayassociate another predetermined maximum latency and minimum bandwidthfor a content item with a gaming type.

At step 615, the device may determine performance characteristics foreach route. For example, a content source 405 may be connected to anaccess point 410 via a fiber optic connection and an Ethernetconnection. The fiber optic connection may be capable of 10 Gb/sec, witha latency of 10 ms, the Ethernet connection may be capable of 1 GB/secwith a latency of 4 ms. The content source 405 may also be directlyconnected to a user device 415 via a MOCA connection with a bandwidth of100 MB/sec and a latency of 7 ms. The access point may be connected tothe user device 415 via an Ethernet connection with a bandwidth of 1Gb/sec and a latency of 4 ms.

At step 620, the device may rank the routes based on theircharacteristics. Different combinations of media may be appropriate fordifferent performance characteristics. For example, a gaming service mayrequire 10 MB/s, but may want the lowest latency possible. The MOCAconnection of 100 MB/sec meets the bandwidth requirement while onlyhaving a latency of 7 ms. If the Ethernet connections were used, itwould have a bandwidth of 1 GB/sec, but would have a total latency of 8ms. The fiber optic connection may have an even higher latency of 10 ms.Thus, the device may rank the MOCA connection as the best route for thelow bandwidth, low latency requirements of the gaming service.

In another example, a virtual-reality streaming video service mayrequire a minimum 150 MB/sec of bandwidth and require a latency below100 ms. The MOCA connection, with a bandwidth of 100 MB/sec, may beinsufficient for transmission. Thus, the device may rank the pureEthernet connection, with 1 Gb/sec of bandwidth and a latency of 8 ms,first, and the fiber-Ethernet connection, with 1 Gb/sec of bandwidth anda latency of 14 ms, second.

Other factors may be considered in the ranking. For instance, someapplications may be impacted by dropped packets. For example, a VoIPcall may not allow for retransmissions, so dropped packets may degradeaudio quality. A first route for a VoIP call may be a WiFi connectionwith high bandwidth and low latency, but frequently lost packets. Asecond route may be a MOCA connection with lower bandwidth, higherlatency, but far fewer dropped packets relative to the WiFi connection.If the MOCA connection still meets the bandwidth and latencyrequirements for the VoIP call, the device may rank the MOCA connectionhigher because it has fewer lost packets. Therefore, packet loss may beone of many other factors considered in order to rank routes.

At step 625, the device may select the desired route for transmissionbased on the ranking from step 620. The route that is ranked as the bestsuited for transmission, based on the optimal transmissioncharacteristics for the content item, may be selected for transmittingthe content item in step 630.

At step 630, the device may transmit the content item via the selectedroute.

FIG. 7 shows an example method for determining the best link speed fortransmitting a content item based at least in part on packetretransmissions. A device (such as a content source 405, access point410, user device 415, or combination thereof) may determine a data ratefor transmitting a content item. Though a faster data rate fortransmission may be available, a content item may require retransmissionof some packets if they are lost in transmission. In many instances,such as transmission via a wireless protocol, increased data rates mayresult in increased retransmissions. These retransmissions may occupytransmission time and lower the effective transmission rate. Thus, insome instances, a higher effective transmission rate may be achieved bylowering the data rate below the highest possible data rate and alsolowering the resultant number of retransmissions.

At step 705, the device may receive a request to transmit a contentitem. The request may be a packet from a user device 415 requesting thatthe system supply a content item from a storage location (e.g., digitalstorage of a content source 405). For example, the device may receive adata packet requesting that a video file be delivered to a networkaddress corresponding to the user device 415.

At step 710, the device may determine application requirements. In someinstances, the device may detect a QoS parameter for the content item(such as a QoS parameter associated with DSCP, 802.1q, etc.). The QoSparameter may indicate the requirements for transmitting the contentitem. For example, a QoS parameter may indicate that the content itemshould be transmitted with minimum latency. In another example, a QoSparameter may indicate that the content item should be transmitted usingmaximum bandwidth (e.g., maximum rate of transfer). The QoS parametermay indicate a combination of requirements. For example, the QoSparameter may indicate a maximum allowable latency for a content itemand a minimum allowable bandwidth.

Application requirements may also be inferred for a content item. Thedevice may use one or more properties of the content item to determine atype for the content item. One property may be a transmission and/ordestination port for the content item. For example, the device maydetermine that the content item is directed at a particular UDP portthat is associated with online gaming. In another example, the devicemay determine that the content item is directed at a particular TCP portassociated with VoIP traffic. The device, based on the type, maydetermine characteristics for transmission. For example, the device mayassociate a predetermined maximum latency and minimum bandwidth for acontent item with a VoIP type. In another example, the device mayassociate another predetermined maximum latency and minimum bandwidthfor a content item with a gaming type.

At step 715, the device may adjust based on the protocol selected fortransmission. Some protocols, such as TCP, may retransmit a packet thatis lost in transmission. Thus, all packets lost may result in aretransmission. Other protocols, such as UDP, do not retransmit lostpackets. The requirements for a transmission that requires a smallnumber of dropped packets, but uses UDP, may be adjusted to compensatefor the fact that all dropped packets are lost. This may require thatany requirements for dropped packets be strictly enforced. Ifretransmissions are allowed, however, dropped packets may be acceptableso long as bandwidth exists for retransmission. For these instances, arequirement that packets not be dropped may be eliminated, and droppedpackets may be instead later considered as they impact bandwidthrequirements through retransmission.

At step 720, the device may select a default data rate for thetransmission. In some instances, the default link speed may be thefastest possible data rate. The default link speed may be determinedbased on hardware capabilities and/or the operating environmentaccording to known methods.

At step 725, the device may determine an expected number ofretransmissions based on the default link speed. The expected number ofretransmissions may be determined based on an expected number ofretransmissions for a given speed and/or operating environment. In someinstances, the expected number of retransmissions may be determinedbased on the number of retransmissions that have occurred at theselected data rate historically for the device. For example, the devicemay determine that 300 Mb/sec transmissions have had a 5% retransmissionrate over the past 4 hours. In other instances, the expected number ofretransmissions may be determined based on a table of values indicatingthe expected number of retransmissions based on the data rate and aninterference level detected by the device on the medium fortransmission. For example, a table may indicate that a 200 Mb/sectransmission with a 12 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) has a 3%retransmission rate.

At step 730, the device may determine the expected time for transmissionat the default (currently selected) data rate. The expected time fortransmission may be a function of the inverse of the data rate plus thetime taken to conduct retransmissions. One algorithm for calculating thetime of transmission is as follows:

X+Y=Z; wherein:

$X = \frac{\text{<}{Number}\mspace{14mu} {of}\mspace{14mu} {Packets}\mspace{14mu} {to}\mspace{14mu} {Transmit}\text{>}}{\text{<}{Data}\mspace{14mu} {Rate}\text{>}}$${Y = {\frac{\begin{matrix}{\text{<}{Percentage}\mspace{14mu} {of}\mspace{14mu} {Retransmissions}\text{>}*} \\{\text{<}{Number}\mspace{14mu} {of}\mspace{14mu} {Packets}\mspace{14mu} {to}\mspace{14mu} {Transmit}\text{>}}\end{matrix}}{\text{<}{Data}\mspace{14mu} {Rate}\text{>}}\mspace{14mu} {and}}}Z = {{Total}\mspace{14mu} {Time}\mspace{14mu} {for}\mspace{14mu} {Transmission}}$

At step 735, the device may determine the expected number ofretransmissions for the content item at a data rate lower than thecurrently selected rate. The device may determine a data rate at a stepbelow the currently selected data rate (initially, the default datarate). For example, if the currently selected data rate is 300 Mb/sec,the device may determine the expected number of retransmissions for adata rate of 290 Mb/sec. The amount lowered may be based onconsiderations for the efficiency of the algorithm (larger jumps mayreduce iterations of the method) and transmission capabilities (onlycertain transmission speeds may be supported for transmission). Theexpected number of retransmissions may then be determined according tothe method as described in step 725.

At step 740, the device may determine the time for transmission at thelower data rate. The expected time for transmission may be determinedusing an algorithm such as described in step 730.

At step 745, the device may determine if the lower data rate is moreefficient than the selected data rate. Though the data rate is lower,the time for transmission may be shorter due to a reduced number ofretransmissions. If this is the case, the device may proceed todetermine if an even lower data rate would be faster at step 750. If thelower data rate does take longer to transmit, the device may determinethat the currently selected data rate is the relatively “best” data rateand transmit the content item at step 755.

In some examples, the device may also determine if the lower data rateis better based on the application requirements. A lower data rate mayhave a longer expected time for transmission, but may require fewerretransmissions. If a protocol for a content item does not allow forretransmissions, and dropped packets are undesirable, the lower datarate may be better because it may cause fewer dropped packets. A minimumbandwidth may also be required for transmission, regardless ofretransmissions. For example, streaming video may require high bandwidthand may not allow retransmissions, but may be tolerant of droppedpackets. Thus, a higher data rate may be desired, even though it mayproduce a substantial number of dropped packets.

At step 750, the device may select the lower data rate. Since the lowerdata rate was more efficient than the previously selected, faster datarate, the device may be able to assume that a data rate that is at leastas slow as the lower data rate should be used. The device may thenselect the lower data rate as the new selected data rate, and repeatsteps 735 through 745 against an even lower data rate to determine ifthe even lower data rate would be even more efficient than the lowerdata rate. Thus, the device may iteratively lower the data rate in steps735 through 750 until the most efficient data rate is found.

At step 755, the device may transmit the content item at the selecteddata rate. This may be the data rate determined to have the shortestexpected time for transmission according to steps 705 through 745.

The methods and features recited herein may be implemented through anynumber of computer readable media that are able to store computerreadable instructions. Examples of computer readable media that may beused include RAM, ROM, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-OnlyMemory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, DVD,or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic storage, and the like.

Additionally or alternatively, in at least some embodiments, the methodsand features recited herein may be implemented through one or moreIntegrated Circuits (ICs). An IC may, for example, be a microprocessorthat accesses programming instructions or other data stored in a ROM. Insome embodiments, a ROM may store program instructions that cause an ICto perform operations according to one or more of the methods describedherein. In some embodiments, one or more of the methods described hereinmay be hardwired into an IC. For example, an IC may comprise anApplication Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) having gates and/or otherlogic dedicated to the calculations and other operations describedherein. In still other embodiments, an IC may perform some operationsbased on execution of programming instructions read from ROM or RAM,with other operations hardwired into gates or other logic. Further, anIC may be configured to output image data to a display buffer.

Although specific examples of carrying out the disclosure have beendescribed, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there arenumerous variations and permutations of the above-described apparatusesand methods that are contained within the spirit and scope of thedisclosure as set forth in the appended claims. Additionally, numerousother embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope andspirit of the appended claims may occur to persons of ordinary skill inthe art from a review of this disclosure. Specifically, one or more ofthe features described herein may be combined with any or all of theother features described herein.

The various features described above are merely non-limiting examples,and may be rearranged, combined, subdivided, omitted, and/or altered inany desired manner. For example, features of the servers may besubdivided among multiple processors and/or computing devices. The truescope of this patent should only be defined by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: calculating, by a computingdevice, a first expected time of wireless transmission of a content itembased on a first data rate and a first expected number of packetretransmissions for the first data rate; determining, by the computingdevice, a second expected time of wireless transmission for the contentitem based on a second data rate for the content item and a secondexpected number of packet retransmissions for the second data rate;determining, by the computing device, to transmit the content item atthe second data rate based on a comparison of the first expected timeand the second expected time; and transmitting, by the computing deviceand based on the second data rate, the content item.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second datarate.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: determining, basedon a maximum data rate associated with a protocol, the first data rate;and determining, based on a minimum data rate associated with theprotocol, the second data rate.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining, based on a third data rate for the content itemand a third expected number of packet retransmissions for the third datarate, a third expected time of transmission for the content item,wherein the second data rate exceeds the third data rate; anddetermining to transmit the content item at the second data rate basedon determining that the third expected time of transmission is greaterthan the second time of transmission.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining one or more application requirements associatedwith the content item, wherein determining to transmit the content itemat the second data rate further comprises determining that the seconddata rate meets the one or more application requirements.
 6. The methodof claim 5, further comprising: adjusting the one or more applicationrequirements based on a transmission protocol associated with thecontent item.
 7. A method comprising: determining, by a computingdevice, a first medium for transmitting a content item based on areliability parameter corresponding to one or more applicationrequirements associated with a content item; determining, by thecomputing device, a minimum data rate value for transmitting the contentitem based on the one or more application requirements; comparing, bythe computing device, the minimum data rate value and a capability ofthe first medium; determining, by the computing device and based on thecomparing, to transmit the content item via a second medium; andtransmitting, by the computing device, the content item via the secondmedium.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining to transmit thecontent item via the second medium comprises determining to transmit thecontent item via the second medium based on determining that thecapability of the second medium is greater than the minimum data ratevalue.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: determining thatthe minimum data rate value is greater than a second capability of thesecond medium; and adjusting, prior to the transmitting the content viathe second medium, the one or more application requirements based ondetermining that the minimum data rate value is greater than the secondcapability of the second medium.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein theadjusting the one or more application requirements based on thedetermining that the minimum data rate value is greater than the secondcapability of the second medium comprises: transmitting a request for anapplication to change the one or more application requirements.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the transmitting the request comprisestransmitting a message requesting the application reduce a quality of avideo stream of the content item.
 12. The method of claim 7, wherein thefirst medium is a wired medium, and wherein the second medium is awireless medium.
 13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:determining a ranking of a plurality of possible routes for the contentitem, wherein the determining to transmit the content item via thesecond medium comprises transmitting the content item via the secondmedium based on the ranking.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein thedetermining the ranking of the multiple possible routes for the contentitem comprises: determining performance characteristics for each routeof the multiple possible routes; and ranking the multiple possibleroutes based on the one or more application requirements and theperformance characteristics.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein atleast one route of the multiple possible routes comprises a wired path,and at least one route of the multiple possible routes comprises awireless path.
 16. A method comprising: determining, by a computingdevice, a first expected time of transmission of a content item based ona first data rate and a first expected number of packet retransmissionsfor the first data rate; determining, by the computing device, a secondexpected time of transmission of the content item based on a second datarate and a second expected number of packet retransmissions for thesecond data rate; determining, by the computing device and based oncomparing the first expected time and the second expected time, totransmit the content item at the second data rate; determining, by thecomputing device and based on comparing the second data rate and acapability of the first medium, to transmit the content item via asecond medium; and transmitting, by the computing device and based onthe second data rate, the content item via the second medium accordingto the second data rate.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the firstdata rate is associated with a first modulation parameter, wherein thesecond data rate is associated with a second modulation parameter, andwherein the determining that the second data rate exceeds the capabilityof the first medium comprises determining that the medium is unsuitablefor the second modulation parameter.
 18. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising: determining one or more application requirements associatedwith the content item, wherein determining to transmit the content itemvia the second medium further comprises determining that the second datarate meets the one or more application requirements.
 19. The method ofclaim 18, further comprising: determining a ranking of a plurality ofpossible routes for the content item, wherein determining to transmitthe content item via the second medium comprises transmitting thecontent item via the second medium based on the ranking.
 20. The methodof claim 19, further comprising: determining performance characteristicsfor each route of the plurality of possible routes, wherein the rankingroutes comprises ranking the plurality of possible routes based on theapplication requirements and the performance characteristics.